‘A Work In Progress’ – The Word On Swansea
- Swansea City host Leicester City in the Sky Bet Championship on Saturday (3pm kick-off)
- BBC Sport Wales Reporter Gareth Vincent gives the lowdown on the Swans under Michael Duff
- The Welsh outfit have claimed four successive league successes after a tough start
The Swans welcome Leicester City to Swansea.com Stadium on Saturday (3pm kick-off) as the Sky Bet Championship returns following a two-week break. With a new manager in charge following the departure of Russell Martin, the Welsh club are in a rebuilding phase this term.
“It’s been interesting,” Vincent explained. “They turned to Michael Duff from Barnsley, who had relative success there and also got Cheltenham Town promoted. It was a question of how quickly he could make his mark with lots of players changes as well as the staff, so it’s been a pretty turbulent summer.
“His style is less committed to possession. He wants to play to an extent but he talks about possession being one thing, but the result being the thing. He’s changed the approach from Russell Martin. In the first few months of the season, things could have gone better.
“They won in the Carabao Cup, but had no league wins in the first seven. Included in that sequence was a disappointing performance in the south Wales derby at Cardiff City, the biggest fixture in this part of the world.”
The reporter credited Duff for turning the tide in recent weeks, after a difficult start, with five games unbeaten and four straight victories under their belts.
“Things started to improve,” he continued. “They went away to QPR and got a draw. From that point on, things have turned spectacularly. Duff got his first win against Sheffield Wednesday and then followed that with three more victories.
“They’ve found real momentum. The final game before the international break was Plymouth away and they have a fairly strong home record. Swansea ultimately won it 3-1 and were deserving winners.
“The club have gone from the bottom three to 12th and people are thinking can they push for the play-offs, eventually finishing three points outside. There’s a long way to go and although the winning run has lifted spirits, Swansea are still a work in progress and getting used to the different style.
“He (Duff) is probably getting used to the squad as well and tweaking his approach to get towards the style Swansea have been known for. The goal for the club is to get back in the Premier League.
“You could say that about pretty much every club in the Championship at the moment, but it is a genuine target. They finished last season really well and ended three points away from the play-offs.”
Firing on all cylinders, the forward line will likely provide a threat to the Foxes’ recent clean sheets record, with back-to-back home shutouts.
Vincent added: “They’ve got quite a few injury issues and are missing significant players. It has been a team effort, the revival and success they’ve had, with some individual moments of quality.
“Jamal Lowe has had a real positive impact. He came in as one of the many summer signings at the end of the window on loan from Bournemouth.
“Jerry Yates is dependable in the Championship, a real hard-working centre forward who you can rely on to put in a shift. Charlie Patino on loan from Arsenal looks a good footballer in midfield, alongside the captain Matt Grimes, one of the best in the division.”
All times BST.